Sumner Humane Voters

NEWS

   County Executive Candidates:

Republican Nominee: Anthony Holt

Democratic Nominee: Steve Sudbury

SCHV Endorsement is Pending.

 

August 24, 2008

Animal Control Update

A euthanasia tech or veterinarian is desperately needed to perform euthanasia at animal control. If you are interested, please contact County Executive, Ragan Hall 451-6060.

Numerous animals are euthanized every week. If you can open your home to a new furry friend, please visit animal control to save a life. Or, even "fostering" an animal until permanent adoption is possible will help.

Citizen volunteers are needed to help. If you have a couple of hours to spare each week:

Download the Animal Control Volunteer Packet by clicking the link below.

 

 Animal Control Volunteer Packet

 

When the forms are completed, return them to the County Executive’s Office:

 

                Email:    rhall@sumnertn.org

                Fax:        615-451-6066

                Mail or in person:             355 N. Belvedere Dr., #102

                                                      Gallatin, TN   37066

 

August 18, 2008

Highlights from County Commission Meeting

The Commission voted to fund the Sheriff's budget which includes animal control. The sheriff 's department is set to take over the operations of animal control in November.

 

July 19-21, 2008

Taking Action For Animals (Washington, DC)

Laura Meadows, Cathy Nicholas and Patti Ragsdale, traveled to Washington DC to attend the Humane Society of the United States-sponsored conference, Taking Action for Animals (TAFA 2008). During the conference, we viewed heart-wrenching videos of terrible animal abuse, most of which we were only too familiar with. On Sunday, we were given a choice of sessions to attend, some of which were "After Michael Vick-Combating Animal Fighting", "Advocating for Animals at Your State Capitol," "Legal Advocacy for Non-Lawyers," and "Animal Advocates as a Voting Bloc." Dozens of exhibitors from national animal welfare organizations across the nation were there including Alley Cat Allies, ALDF, American Anti-Vivisection Society, Farm Sanctuary, Vegan Outreach, League of Humane Voters, United Poultry Concerns and Dogs Deserve Better (Tammy Grimes). One of the speakers was Karen Dawn of "Dawnwatch," (Thanking the Monkey,) and we attended her book-signing at a downtown bookstore. We were pleased to meet and have photographs taken with speaker Julie Lewin, author of "Getting Political for Animals." Julie is an important source of guidance for SCHV.

After the workshops and a mandatory lobby day training session, we traveled to Capitol Hill to meet representatives at the offices of Senator Bob Corker, Representative Bart Gordon and Senator Lamar Alexander where we voiced our concerns about humane animal welfare and asked them to co-sponsor or vote in favor of:

1. Baby’s Bill - Puppy Mills (no number assigned as of this date)

2. HR503 S311 - Protecting horses from slaughter (going to other countries for slaughter)

3. HR661 and S394 - Downed Animal and Food Safety Protection act

4. HR891 - Dog and Cat Fur Prohibition Enforcement Act (currently states under $150 no label mandated)

On Tuesday, we visited WARL (Washington Animal Rescue League). Since the shelter was closed on Monday, we somewhat reluctantly extended our trip to view the facility and this decision turned out to be perhaps the highlight of our stay. This state-of-the-art facility with a 100% adoption rate was created entirely with private funding. (Only animals that are seriously diseased or injured are humanely euthanized). We arrived before the facility opened on Tuesday morning, unannounced, and the director led us through a utopia of waterfalls, natural light, climate-controlled menage of dogs and cats who are awaiting forever homes. Seventy-one dogs were transported to this facility from the recent Tennessee puppy mill bust. Plenty of volunteers and staff attend to the animals, and cats are regularly released to romp and play on boundless cat paraphernalia that line the hallways. Dogs have an outdoor playground and are walked regularly. We wondered, "What animal would even want to leave such a serene and happy home?" Visit www.warl.org for more information on this shelter. Visit www.takingactionforanimals.org for photographs and information on the TAFA conference and www.flickr.com/photos/earthspeak.org for personal photographs of our grouphttp://www.flickr.com/photos/earthspeak.org.. (No need to sign in or create an account.)

We are thankful to HSUS for giving us the opportunity to speak to our legislators in Washington DC, and for giving us encouragement and meaningful tools toward strengthening our resolve to make animal welfare a priority in the legislative process in Sumner County as well as the entire state.

 

May 2, 2008

Meeting with Sheriff Barker

In Attendance: Cathy Nicholas, Lyn Corlew, Laura Meadows (Sumner County Humane Voters)

 Overview of the meeting:

  1. Interim Supervisory Position
  2. Shelter Director/Manager
  3. Sheriff’s Dept employees screened for compassion toward animals
  4. Inmates & volunteers
  5. New AC facility and funds to build
  6. Spay/neuter policies
  7. Euthanasia
  8. Overall management of Animal Control

SCHV Questions:

1. Can interim oversight start right away since the animals are not currently being well cared for?

No, Sheriff Barker does not plan to take over Animal Control until November 2008. Until then, AC is still under the supervision of the County Executive.  
 
2. Is the plan to appoint a current employee of the department as Shelter manager? Has anyone in the department expressed a great love of animals and interest in receiving training as a shelter manager?  If not, is it possible that the shelter manager could be hired from outside the department as a civilian employee (or even a civil service employee... not an officer). Officers need to be fulfilling his/her duties as a law enforcement officer not “doing their job” at AC.  

There are 5 sheriff’s department employees who will be transferred to AC. All 5 of the employees have asked to be transferred. Mike McLerran, a sergeant in November, will be appointed supervisor or shelter manager and will oversee AC operations.  Mike will be a working sergeant and will also directly supervise the other employees and trustees.
 
3. Will the ACOs also be screened for love of and compassion toward animals? 

All 5 of the employees have asked to be transferred. The new AC officers will be attending NACA training next week.  Additionally, all 5 of the officers will shadow other local facilities such as Nashville Humane, etc. to obtain hands-on training from other reputable officers.  The Sheriff’s Department employees transferring to AC in November are Tammy Weatherford, Sean Ryan, John Williams, and Joseph Brew. 

 4a. How do you envision utilizing the volunteer organizations in the community?  How can they/we be of help?

 Volunteers will be greatly appreciated at the shelter with various roles including, but not limited to, socializing, walking and spending time with the animals. Ideally, it would be nice to have a routine volunteer schedule. Sheriff Barker envisions working directly with the rescue groups to identify adoptable dogs and cats. He hopes to build a support network with other rescuers to keep adoptable dogs/cats out of the pound.  Adoptable pets will potentially go to the adoption/rescue groups as soon as they are available.  

4b. Will trustees used in the facility be screened carefully for the ability and desire to handle animals? 

Trustees will be screened before being placed at AC. Sex offenders and certain other violent offenders are not allowed to work at AC. Unlike the most recent past, trustees will be directly supervised once the Sheriff’s Dept takes control.  Again, there will be the sergeant, other officers, an animal-loving clerical/office employee and volunteers to ensure the trustees are humanely and appropriately caring for the animals.  They will be given the rules for their duties at AC. And, they will be trained by AC staff not other trustees.
 
5. Do you have any idea where you want a new facility and have there been any discussions to date regarding this?  Who will be paying for this facility?  

The Sheriff is looking for a more ideal location for animal control. He hopes to find a location that will be easily accessible within the county.  He envisions an up to date comprehensive facility with an adoption area, proper kennels for disease containment,  proper drainage, slopes, general vet area, stalls/area for large animals, etc.                                                                                                                    

It will be a fundraising task to pay for the new facility.  He stated, “This is a great opportunity for Sumner County.”

6. Mandatory S/N must be part of AC and our community in general. 

 Sheriff Barker is a supporter of S/N initiatives. We discussed the potential of differing impound fees for altered vs. unaltered animals to potentially encourage S/N of claimed animals.  Additionally, all animals adopted from AC will be spayed/neutered before going home with their adopter.  

7. Recommend Euthanasia duties to be returned to a qualified euthanasia tech. Recommend to use a civilian ET who wants to alleviate suffering not just do their job. There are several in the community who would probably be willing to step in to fill the gap either temporarily until shelter employees can become competent in humane euthanasia techniques, or permanently.  There is no need to continue wasting this amount of money to pay a vet who doesn't want the animals fed the day before euthanization.  All veterinary monies should be reserved for treatment of sick and injured animals.  These animals should be seen by reputable vets in our own community.

He is willing to allow a civilian Euthanasia Tech to assume the task of euthanasia to potentially save funds for other veterinary care or spay/neuter initiatives. He understands the importance of having a trained, experienced ET (who wants to be there) to humanely & compassionately euthanize these poor animals.

 
7. Management of AC

  • Up to date record keeping (recommend purchase of AC database software)
  • Some screening tools need to be put in place for adoptions, particularly for breeds at high risk of abuse. Recommend use of an adoption application.
  • Mandatory S/N
  • Euthanasia tech
  • Proper Cleaning
  • Feeding (apply for food grant ie, Nutro, Pedigree)
  • Grooming and socializing (volunteers)
  • Connect with rescue groups for adoptable dogs/cats
  • Implement differential licensing (generates more funds for AC, pays for itself)

The sheriff is aware of the above bulleted points. He has educated himself in animal control management and willingly accepted the challenge.

We are optimistic that we (as a community) can rise above the past problems, pull together, and create one of the best animal control facilities in Tennessee. 

 

____________________________________________________________________________

4/07/08 Highlights from the Law Enforcement Sub-Committee Meeting

After a long debate, the committee voted to hand animal control over to the Sheriff's Department. Now, the amendment will go before the whole commission at a later date before the Sheriff will assume control. (We'll notify you once we know the date.) A special thanks to Commissioners Stone, Matthews and Fennell! We appreciate Sheriff Barker's detailed research and time into examining this undertaking.

3/31/08 Highlights from the Law Enforcement Sub-committee Special Meeting

It was unclear why the meeting was called, but it gave some constituents time to present new, unknown information to the committee. Apparently, by the time the county pays an additional manager $30,000 a year to operate the facility and then pay an outside veterinarian to euthanize animals, those combined costs could exceed $170,000 per year. A large percentage of  taxpayers' money (allotted for animal control) this year will go toward euthanasia not productive solutions like spay/neuter programs.

County Commissioner Jerry Stone asked that a recommendation be sent to the Law Enforcement Committee that the county close the current facility and award SPA a charitable contribution to run animal control for one year. "I know there's going to be problems implementing this, but we've got problems already and I'm fairly sure that Gallatin will let them use the land," said Stone. "The county doesn't have any plans for a new animal control facility. All we're talking about is giving someone with experience who wants to do it an opportunity."

Committee members ultimately decided to defer the matter for another week.

(Source Gallatin News Examiner and county records)

The next county commission meeting regarding animal control is scheduled for 4/7/08 at 5pm at the Belvedere County Administration Building.